Bicycle damping system

ABSTRACT

A bicycle damping system is arranged to reduce vibrations that originate at the bicycle wheel and are transmitted to the rider of the bicycle. A portion of a bicycle frame and/or bicycle fork can define a cavity and a damping member is positioned within the cavity. The damping member can be forced into contact with a surface of the cavity. Fork legs, seat stays, chain stays, the seat post are all examples portions of the bicycle frame that may include a damping system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to bicycles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system configured to reduce vibrations transmitted to a rider of the bicycle.

2. Description of the Related Art

Bicycle riding and racing often take place on less than ideal terrain conditions. For example, bicycle touring and racing may often take place on country roads, which may be unpaved or where the pavement may be rough and irregular, even when new. In more populated areas, a significant portion of paved roads may be damaged and in need of repair. When traversed by the bicycle, these irregular surfaces transmit vibrations to the bicycle. Furthermore, the surface of even relatively new pavement, while acceptable for motor vehicles, may be rough enough to transmit significant vibration to a bicycle. Accordingly, most bicyclists spend at least a significant portion of their riding time traversing rough or irregular surfaces. Vibrations induced by such terrain, if not sufficiently dampened, may be transmitted to the rider of the bicycle. When transmitted to the rider, these vibrations often cause discomfort and fatigue.

Several methods for damping terrain-induced vibrations have been utilized. For example, the bicycle may be equipped with front and/or rear suspension assemblies, which permit the suspended wheel to move against a biasing force relative to the bicycle frame. Although highly favored in some applications, such as bicycles intended primarily for off-road use, such suspension assemblies have generally been unsuccessful in connection with bicycles primarily intended for use on paved surfaces (i.e., road bicycles), where low weight and aerodynamics are considered highly important. Furthermore, such suspension assemblies are intended to absorb large bumps and may not be effective at isolating vibrations due to inherent friction within the assembly, which may prevent movement of the suspension assembly in response to small forces.

In road bicycle applications, it has recently become popular to utilize materials having improved damping properties in comparison to metals to form a portion or all of the bicycle between the wheels and the rider. For example, a composite material of carbon fiber fabric within a resin matrix (“carbon fiber”) is often used in an attempt to isolate road-induced vibrations from the rider of the bicycle. In some instances, the entire frame of the bicycle may be comprised of a carbon fiber material.

Such an arrangement has been more successful in isolating terrain-induced vibrations from reaching the rider of the bicycle in comparison with bicycle frames and components comprised entirely of metal. However, although carbon fiber is lightweight and exhibits improved vibration damping characteristics in comparison to metal, a significant amount of vibration may nonetheless be transferred through components made from carbon fiber.

One proposed solution to carbon fibers undesirable transmission of vibrations is to incorporate an additional material into the carbon fiber fabric that is used to make the final carbon fiber product. For example, a weave of titanium filaments has been incorporated into carbon fiber fabric in an attempt to reduce the amount of vibration that is transmitted through components made of carbon fiber. However, such a solution necessitates a complex manufacturing process and, thus, increases the cost of the final product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, a need exists for a cost-effective method of reducing vibrations from being transmitted from the wheels of a bicycle to the rider of the bicycle. Preferred embodiments of a front fork assembly are constructed from a carbon fiber material and include a portion on each leg of the fork assembly, which defines a surface cavity for receiving a separate vibration damping member. Preferably, the vibration damping member is constructed from an elastomeric material and is retained with a plate within the surface cavity of each leg of the front fork. In some embodiments, the surface cavity and/or the damping member can extend along the outer surface of the fork leg from the inner side near a wheel to an outer side away from the wheel.

In some embodiments, a bicycle can comprise a main frame portion, a wheel, and a wheel support. The wheel support can be coupled to said main frame portion at a first end to support said wheel at a second end. An outer wall of said wheel support can define a first surface cavity, the first surface cavity extending along the outer wall from a first side to a second side, the second side being an opposing side of the outer wall from the first side. A damping member can be contoured to fit within and be positioned within said first surface cavity, thereby extending along the outer wall between opposing sides of the outer wall. A plate can secure said damping member within said first surface cavity and force said damping member into contact with a surface of said first surface cavity to thereby dampen vibrations introduced to said wheel support by said wheel.

According to certain embodiments, one or more of the damping member and the plate can be substantially U-shaped. The plate may cover substantially the entire or less than an entire outer surface of the damping member. The damping member can occupy substantially the entire or less than the entire volume of the first surface cavity.

In some embodiments, a bicycle can comprise a main frame portion, a wheel, and a wheel support coupled to said main frame portion at a first end and supporting said wheel at a second end. An outer wall of said wheel support can define a first surface cavity. A damping member can be positioned within said first surface cavity, said damping member extending along the outer wall and engaging opposing sides of the outer wall. A plate can secure said damping member within said first surface cavity, wherein said damping member is configured to be forced into contact with a surface of said first surface cavity to thereby dampen vibrations introduced to said wheel support by said wheel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects and advantages are described below with reference to the drawings, which are intended to illustrate but not to limit the invention. In the drawings, like reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout similar embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a bicycle.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a front fork assembly.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a portion of a bicycle and front fork assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of a portion of the front fork assembly of FIG. 2 taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a partially disassembled front fork assembly.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a rear frame portion.

FIG. 7 is a perspective partially disassembled view of the portion of the rear frame portion of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a cross-section view of the portion of a rear frame portion of FIG. 6 taken along line 8-8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 illustrates a bicycle, which is referred to generally by the reference numeral 10. The bicycle 10 includes a frame 12, which rotatably supports a wheel support, or front fork assembly 14, near a forward end of the frame 12 for rotation about a steering axis. A lower end of the fork assembly 14 supports a front wheel 16 of the bicycle 10. A handlebar assembly 18 is connected to an upper end of the fork 14 for rotating the fork assembly 14 and front wheel 16 about the steering axis of the bicycle 10. In addition, the handlebar assembly 18 may include one or more rider controls, such as shifting or braking controls.

A rear wheel 20 of the bicycle 10 is supported near a rearward end of the frame 12. A pedal crank assembly 22 is rotatably supported by a lower portion of the frame 12. A drive chain 24 extends between the pedal crank assembly and the rear wheel to transfer power therebetween, as is well known in the art.

A front brake caliper 26 can be supported by the front fork assembly 14 and is configured to selectively apply a squeezing force to a rim of the front wheel 16. Similarly, a rear brake caliper 28 can be supported by the frame 12 and configured to selectively apply a squeezing force to a rim portion of the rear wheel 20. Alternatively, other types of braking systems may also be used.

A seat post 30 extends in an upward direction from the frame 12 and supports a seat 32 on its upper end. The seat post 30 may be adjusted in height relative to the frame 12 to adjust a seat height of the bicycle 10.

Preferably, the frame 12 includes a main frame portion 34 and a wheel support, or rear frame portion 36. The rear frame portion 36 desirably includes a pair of lower legs, or chain stay members 38 (only one shown), extending on each side of the rear wheel 20 from a lower portion of the main frame 34. In addition, the rear frame portion 36 includes a pair of upper legs, or seat stay members 40, extending from an upper portion of the main frame 34 on each side of the rear wheel 20 and being connected to a rear end of the chain stays 38 near a hub axis of the rear wheel 20.

At least the main frame 34 can be constructed from a plurality of tubular, metal pieces welded together. For example, the main frame 34 may be constructed from aluminum, steel or titanium tubing. Alternatively, the frame may comprise a composite material and may be constructed as a unitary piece or multiple pieces bonded or molded together. In addition, other suitable materials and/or construction methods may also be used, as will be appreciated by one of skill in the art.

As described above, the front fork assembly 14 preferably is constructed to reduce the amount of vibration passed from the front wheel 16 to the handlebar assembly 18, and thus the rider of the bicycle 10. Additionally, other components of the bicycle 10 may also be constructed to reduce vibration transfer. For example, the seat post 30 may be constructed to include a damping system 60 a (FIG. 1), to reduce the transmission of vibrations from the frame 12 to the seat 32 and, thus, the rider of the bicycle 10. Furthermore, other components and/or portions of the bicycle 10, such as the chain stays 38 or seat stays 40 of the frame 12, may be similarly arranged to include a damping system 60 b, 60 c, respectively, to reduce the transmission of vibrations from the wheels 16, 20 to the rider of the bicycle 10, as will be appreciated by one of skill in the art in light of the teachings of the present application.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, one embodiment of a front fork 14 is illustrated in greater detail. In FIG. 2, the front wheel 16 has been omitted and in FIG. 3, the front wheel 16 is shown in phantom for the purpose of clarity. As is described in greater detail below, preferably, the fork 14 can be constructed as a composite of a plurality of sheets of a carbon fiber material within an epoxy resin matrix and incorporates a vibration damping system 60 that can include an elastomeric material. Preferably the elastomeric material comprises a thermoplastic elastomer, and more preferably a viscoelastomeric material, as is described in greater detail below.

A steer tube 42 of the front fork assembly 14 extends through the frame 12 of the bicycle 10 and supports the handlebar assembly 18 (FIG. 1) at its upper end. A pair of fork legs 44, 46 extend downward from the steer tube 42 on opposing sides of the front wheel 16. The fork legs 44, 46 are interconnected at an upper end 48, which is also connected to the steer tube 42. An intermediate portion 56 of the fork legs 44, 46 connects the upper portion 48 to the lower portion 52. Thus, each fork leg 44, 46 is a generally rigid member that defines a substantially constant length. That is, preferably, the fork assembly 14 is constructed such that relative movement between the front wheel 16 and the bicycle frame 12 along the axis of the fork leg is substantially prevented. Such a construction is commonly referred to as an unsuspended, or rigid, fork assembly. Furthermore, desirably, the fork legs 44, 46 and the steer tube 42 are of a one-piece construction.

A drop out 50 is secured to or integrally formed with a lower end 52 of each fork leg 44, 46. The drop outs 50 are sized and shaped to receive an axle portion of a hub 54 of the front wheel 16. In one arrangement, the drop outs 50 are constructed of a metal, such as aluminum or steel, and are secured to the fork legs 44, 46 by a bonding process. In another arrangement, the dropouts 50 are integrally formed with the fork legs 44, 46 of a carbon fiber material. However, other suitable arrangements to connect the front wheel 16 to the fork assembly 14 may also be used.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, desirably, the fork legs 44, 46 are arranged such that the hub 54 is supported on a forward side of an axis A defined by the steer tube 42. This is commonly referred to as the “rake” or offset of the fork 14. Such an arrangement adjusts the stability of the handling characteristics of the bicycle 10, as is well known in the art.

As mentioned previously, a damping system 60 can be used to reduce and isolate terrain-induced vibrations from reaching the rider of the bicycle. A damping system 60 can be used on at least one of each fork leg 44, 46, the seat post 30, each seat stay 40 and each chain stay 38. As will be shown, the damping system 60 can be configured to force a damping member into contact with a component of the bicycle, for example, a fork leg. In addition, as also will be shown, the damping system 60 can be configured to sandwich a damping member between a component of the bicycle, for example, a fork leg, and a second member such as a fastener or plate. The damping member can contact a surface cavity in the component. In some embodiments, the second member can force the damping member into contact with the component. In some embodiments, a damping member can be forced into contact with the component, such as with a fastener that secures the damping member to the component. In some embodiments, a damping member can be sandwiched between a plate and a component and can be forced into contact with the component with a fastener that secures to the plate and/or to the component or that further sandwiches the component between the plate and fastener. In some embodiments, the fastener can be part of the plate, such as a protrusion and/or snap fit that extends from the plate. The fastener can be threaded, snap fit, or other type of fastener and can also include one or more fasteners. In some embodiments, the fastener or part of the fastener can be made integrally with the damping member. In some embodiments, a fastener can be attached directly to the damping member. The plate can be a rigid plate. The plate can contact substantially all, a majority of, or some of a surface of the damping member that is not contacting the component. Other embodiments and configurations can also be used, a few examples of which follow below.

A surface cavity can be a depressed portion in the component, such as a depression in a fork leg. The depressed portion can be depressed relative to a surrounding surface. The depressed portion does not pass all the way through the component and can have a back wall and side walls. In other embodiments, the depressed portion can be rounded or pointed so that the transition between the side walls and back wall may not be clearly defined. In addition, the side walls may also form the back wall, such as when the side walls form a “V” within the depression. The depressed portion can be any number of shapes and can be configured to maximize contact with the damping member. The depressed portion can be formed in many ways, such as being integrally formed with the component or material may be removed to form the depressed portion. In addition, the depressed portion can extend along the surface between two or more sides of the component.

Looking to FIGS. 4-5, one embodiment of a damping system 60 has a damping member 84 on an outside surface 62 of a fork leg 44, 46. As shown, the damping member 84 is placed into a surface cavity 66 in the fork leg. A plate 80 secures the damping member 84 in place and forces the damping member 84 into contact with the surface of the fork leg. This forced contact with the surface of the fork leg helps to ensure a resulting damping effect. As mentioned previously, the damping member 84 can be an elastomeric material.

As shown, the damping member 84, plate 80, and surface cavity 66 are all essentially U-shaped and extend around two opposing surfaces of the fork leg. The damping system 60 extends from an inner side of the fork leg near the wheel, to the back of the fork leg, and then around to the outer side. It will be understood that parts of the damping system 60 can extend across various surfaces of the component. For example, parts of the damping system could wrap around two or more sides of the fork leg.

The damping member can be shaped and contoured to extend along the surface of a component between a first side and a second side, where the sides are opposing sides or adjacent sides. The damping member 84 can be generally U-shaped, C-shaped, J-shaped, etc., so that the damping member extends along the surface of the component from one side to another side. The damping member can be positioned partially or entirely within a surface cavity 66. For example, the damping member can be essentially co-extensive with the surface cavity or the damping member can extend past the surface cavity such that only a portion of the damping member is positioned within the surface cavity and a portion of the damping member extends along a surface of the component outside of the surface cavity.

As shown, the damping member can include two halves that are substantially mirror images of one another. In other embodiments, one half can be longer than the other. For example, the damping member can be J-shaped such that the member extends to a greater extent along the outer side then along the inner wheel side of the fork leg. In addition, as shown, the ends of the damping member are narrower than the middle section. Other configurations are also possible.

The surface cavity can extend along the outer surface or wall of the fork leg from the outer side to the inner side. The damping member can be contoured to fit within and positioned within said surface cavity, thereby extending along the outer wall between opposing sides of the outer wall. As mentioned, the surface cavity can be smaller than the damping member. In some embodiments, the surface cavity is only slightly smaller than the damping member such that the damping member is forced into tight engagement and contact with the wall of the surface cavity. In some embodiments, the damping member extends along the fork leg outside of the cavity.

The plate 80 is also shown as U-shaped, but can also be C-shaped, J-shaped, etc., so that the plate extends along the surface of the damping member from one side of the component to another side. The plate can also be co-extensive with the damping member, or may cover a greater or smaller area than the damping member.

Looking at FIGS. 2-5, it can be seen that the surface cavity 66 extends along the outer side of the fork leg, around the back of the fork leg and along the inner wheel side of the fork leg. The damping member 84 extends along the outer surface of the fork leg within the surface cavity 66. Thus, the damping member 84 also extends along the outer side of the fork leg, around the back of the fork leg and along the inner wheel side of the fork leg. The plate 80 extends along an outer surface of the damping member, essentially coextensive with the damping member 84.

A fastener 82 can pass through one side of the plate 80 and engage the other side of the plate 80. As has been mentioned, the fastener can be part of the plate, such as a protrusion and/or snap, or a separate threaded, snap fit, or other type of fastener. The fastener 82 may also include one or more fasteners. Bolt tension can compress the damping member 84 into contact with the surface of the fork leg allowing the damping member to influence the vibrations being transmitted through the fork leg.

In other embodiments, fasteners can be used to connect directly to the damping member. For example, a fastener can connect to a damping member in a similar manner as shown in FIG. 4 but without the plate. The damping member can be a solid piece that accepts the fastener into the damping member or the fastener may pass through the damping member.

The damping member can also be formed with one or more projections. The projections can be configured to hold the damping member in place. In some embodiments, the projections can have a head, flange, or other contact surface on an end. The head can be used to maintain the damping member in place, similar to a head on a fastener. In this way, the projections can be used in place of or in addition to one or more fasteners. The projection with a head or contact surface can also be used to force the damping member into contact with the fork leg or other component and result in a damping effect.

The damping system 60 can also be positioned to be at an angle relative to the length of the fork leg. As shown, the damping system is angled to extend downward towards the ground. The damping system 60 can be positioned to be at any desired angle.

Preferably, the damping system 60 is located within the intermediate portion 56 of each fork leg 44, 46. The damping member 84 can be elongated and/or contoured or otherwise shaped so as to advantageously maximize the contact area between the damping member 84 and the fork leg 44, 46 within the space available, which enhances vibration damping, while preserving the strength and stiffness of the fork 14, which improves handling.

Desirably the damping member 84 is substantially solid and, preferably, is completely solid. Such an arrangement advantageously provides consistent, uniform vibration damping performance of the damping system 60. In addition, desirably, the cross-sectional area of the damping member 84 is great enough to effectively dampen vibrations from reaching the rider of the bicycle 10.

With reference to FIG. 4, the right fork leg 44 is shown in a cross-sectional view taken along a horizontal plane and intersecting the damping system 60. As used herein, a vertical, longitudinal plane extends along the length of the bicycle 10 and is substantially aligned with a plane defined by the frame 12 and wheels 16, 20. A vertical, lateral plane is substantially normal to the longitudinal plane and a horizontal plane is substantially normal to both the longitudinal and lateral planes.

The cross-section of the damping member 84 can have any of a variety of shapes. For example, the damping member 84 can be wedge shaped or trapezoidal. The shape of the cross-section can allow for increased contact with the surface cavity 66 and can increase the effectiveness of the bolt tension and the sandwiching effect to press the damping member 84 into contact with the fork leg and reduce transmitted vibrations. In some embodiments, the damping member 84 can further include a cavity 88 and rim 90. The plate 80 can be inserted into the cavity 88. The cavity 88 can be sized so as to be slightly smaller then the plate 80. This can cause the plate to force the rim 90 to move outwardly and further into contact with the sides of the cavity 66.

As illustrated, desirably, the fork leg 44 is of a thin wall, hollow construction to reduce weight. The fork leg 44 has an outside surface 62, and an inside surface 64, where the inside surface is the surface closest to the wheel 16. As shown, both the inside and outside surfaces can define a cavity 66, for receiving a damping member 84. The fastener 82 can be advanced through a plate 80 from the inside surface towards the outside surface to attach to the other side of the plate 80. This can allow the fastener or the head of the fastener to be on the inside near the wheel 16 and therefore not be readily apparent. The plate 80 can also be used as a badge for branding or stylistic purposes.

Although not shown in detail, desirably, the left fork leg 46 can be substantially a mirror image of the left fork leg 44. However, as will be readily appreciated by one of skill in the art, in other aspects the damping system 60 of the left fork leg 46 can be substantially identical to that described above.

When constructed substantially as described in any of the embodiments above, the fork assembly inhibits or reduces vibrations from passing through the fork legs 44, 46. Thus, vibrations originating at the lower end 52 of the fork legs 44, 46 (i.e., at the front wheel 16) are inhibited, or reduced in magnitude, from passing to the upper ends 48 and steer tube 42 of the fork and, thus, the handlebar 18 of the bicycle 10. Such an arrangement improves the comfort of the rider and reduces fatigue during long rides.

Preferably, the entire fork assembly, with the exception of the damping system, is constructed in a manner conventional for composite bicycle forks. However, the fork assembly may be constructed by any other suitable method. Advantageously, the fork assembly can be lighter weight than prior fork assemblies that used damping systems with an insert, such as where a cavity passed all the way through the fork. This is because of the reduction in the amount of material necessary for creating surface cavities as opposed to cavities that pass completely through the fork leg. Also, for carbon fiber, the improved design allows for better lay-up control by the elimination of the need for two bladders and two carbon tubes to create the cavities. Thus, one bladder can be used and in some embodiments the one bladder can be used to create the space above, below, behind, and to the sides of the surface cavity. Similar benefits are also experienced in use with the damper system 60 in other areas of the bicycle, such as the seat stays, seat tube, and chain stays.

Turning now to FIGS. 6-8, an embodiment of a damping system 60 c is shown, in use with the seat stays 40 of a rear frame portion 36. As shown, the damping member 84 is placed into a surface cavity 66 in the seat stay 40. A threaded fastener 82 engages a plate 80 which secures the damping member 84 in place and thereby forces the damping member 84 into contact with the surface of the seat stay 40. Thus, the damping member 84 is sandwiched between the seat stay 40 and the plate 80. The bolt tension can compress the damping member 84 into contact with the surface of the seat stay 40 allowing the damping member to influence the vibrations being transmitted through the seat stay 40. This forced contact with the surface of the seat stay 40 helps to ensure a resulting damping effect.

As shown, the damping member 84, plate 80, and surface cavity 66 are all essentially U-shaped and extend around two opposing surfaces of the seat stay 40. The damping system 60 extends from an inner side of the seat stay 40 near the wheel, to the back of the seat stay 40, and then around to the outer side. It will be understood that parts of the damping system 60 can extend across various surfaces of the component. For example, parts of the damping system could wrap around two or more sides of the seat stay 40.

The damping member can be shaped and contoured to extend along the surface of a component between a first side and a second side, where the sides are opposing sides or adjacent sides. The damping member 84 can be generally U-shaped, C-shaped, J-shaped, etc., so that the damping member extends along the surface of the component from one side to another side. The damping member can be positioned partially or entirely within a surface cavity 66. For example, the damping member can be essentially co-extensive with the surface cavity or the damping member can extend past the surface cavity such that only a portion of the damping member is positioned within the surface cavity and a portion of the damping member extends along a surface of the component outside of the surface cavity.

As shown, the damping member can include two halves that are substantially mirror images of one another. In other embodiments, one half can be longer than the other. For example, the damping member can be J-shaped such that the member extends to a greater extent along the outer side then along the inner wheel side of the seat stay 40. In addition, as shown, the ends of the damping member are narrower than the middle section. Other configurations are also possible.

The surface cavity can extend along the outer surface or wall of the seat stay 40 from the outer side to the inner side. The damping member can be contoured to fit within and positioned within said surface cavity, thereby extending along the outer wall between opposing sides of the outer wall. As mentioned, the surface cavity can be smaller than the damping member. In some embodiments, the surface cavity is only slightly smaller than the damping member such that the damping member is forced into tight engagement and contact with the wall of the surface cavity. In some embodiments, the damping member extends along the seat stay 40 outside of the cavity.

The plate 80 is also shown as U-shaped, but can also be C-shaped, J-shaped, etc., so that the plate extends along the surface of the damping member from one side of the component to another side. The plate can also be co-extensive with the damping member, or may cover a greater or smaller area than the damping member.

Preferably, the damping system 60 is located within the intermediate portion of each seat stay 40. The damping member 84 can be elongated and/or contoured or otherwise shaped so as to advantageously maximize the contact area between the damping member 84 and the seat stay 40 within the space available, which enhances vibration damping, while preserving the strength and stiffness of the seat stay 40. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the damping member 84 can have a trapezoidal cross-section. This can allow for increased contact with the surface of the seat stay 40 and can increase the effectiveness of the bolt tension and the sandwiching effect to press the damping member 84 into contact with the seat stay surface and reduce transmitted vibrations.

In some embodiments, the damping member 84 can further include a cavity 88 and rim 90. The plate 80 can be inserted into the cavity 88. The cavity 88 can be sized so as to be slightly smaller then the plate 80. This can cause the plate to force the rim 90 to move outwardly and further into contact with the sides of the cavity 66 in the seat stay 40.

Similar to the fork leg, the seat stay 40 can be of a thin wall, hollow construction to reduce weight. The seat stay 40 can also have an outside surface 62, and an inside surface 64, where the inside surface is the surface closest to the wheel 20. As shown, both the inside and outside surfaces define a cavity 66 that extends along the seat stay from the inside surface to the outside surface, for receiving a damping member 84. The fastener 82 can be advanced through the plate from the inside surface towards the outside surface to attach to the other side of the plate 80. This can allow the fastener or the head of the fastener to be on the inside near the wheel 20 and therefore not readily apparent. The plate 80 can also be used as a badge for branding or stylistic purposes.

In other embodiments, fasteners can be used to connect directly to the damping member. Alternatively, the damping member can be formed with one or more projections, such as projections with a head, flange, or other contact surface. The projection with a head or other contact surface can be used to compress the damping member into contact with the seat stay or other component and result in a damping effect. Thus, the projections can function in the same or a similar way as a fastener.

When constructed substantially as described in any of the embodiments above, the rear frame portion with damping system inhibits vibrations from passing through the seat stays 40. Thus, vibrations originating at the lower end of the seat stays (i.e., at the back wheel 20) are inhibited from passing to the upper ends and to the main frame 34. Such an arrangement improves the comfort of the rider and reduces fatigue during long rides.

Although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number of variations of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of this invention, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is also contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed invention. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow.

Similarly, this method of disclosure, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that any claim require more features than are expressly recited in that claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in a combination of fewer than all features of any single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A bicycle, comprising: a main frame portion; a wheel; a wheel support coupled to said main frame portion at a first end and supporting said wheel at a second end, an outer wall of said wheel support defining a first surface cavity, the first surface cavity extending along the outer wall from a first side to a second side, the second side being an opposing side of the outer wall from the first side; a first damping member contoured to fit within and positioned within said first surface cavity, said first damping member having a first open end and a second open end and thereby extending along the outer wall from the first open end of the damping member at the first side of the outer wall to the second open end at the second opposing side of the outer wall so as to form a substantially U-shape; and a first plate, wherein said first plate secures said first damping member within said first surface cavity and forces said first damping member into contact with a surface of said first surface cavity to thereby dampen vibrations introduced to said wheel support by said wheel.
 2. The bicycle of claim 1, wherein said first plate is substantially U-shaped.
 3. The bicycle of claim 1, wherein said first plate covers less than an entire outer surface of the first damping member.
 4. The bicycle of claim 1, wherein said wheel is a front wheel of said bicycle and said wheel support is a front fork.
 5. The bicycle of claim 1, wherein said first damping member is a solid piece of elastomeric material.
 6. The bicycle of claim 5, wherein said first damping member occupies substantially the entire volume of the first surface cavity.
 7. The bicycle of claim 1, further comprising a second surface cavity and a second damping member positioned within said second surface cavity.
 8. The bicycle of claim 7, wherein said first and second surface cavities are on separate portions of said wheel support, positioned on either side of said wheel.
 9. The bicycle of claim 4, further comprising a second surface cavity and a second damping member positioned within said second surface cavity, wherein the fork comprises two fork legs, and the first and second surface cavities are on separate fork legs.
 10. The bicycle of claim 1, wherein said first surface cavity is located in an intermediate portion of said wheel support between said first and second ends.
 11. The bicycle of claim 1, wherein said wheel is a back wheel of said bicycle and said wheel support is a rear frame portion.
 12. The bicycle of claim 11, wherein said rear frame portion comprises two seat stays and two chain stays.
 13. A bicycle, comprising: a main frame portion; a wheel; a wheel support coupled to said main frame portion at a first end and supporting said wheel at a second end, an outer wall of said wheel support defining a first surface cavity; a first damping member positioned within said first surface cavity, said first damping member having a first open end and a second open end, said first damping member extending along the outer wall from the first open end of the damping member to the second open end to thereby engage opposing sides of the outer wall; and a first plate to secure said first damping member within said first surface cavity, wherein said first damping member is configured to be forced into contact with a surface of said first surface cavity to thereby dampen vibrations introduced to said wheel support by said wheel.
 14. The bicycle of claim 13, wherein said first damping member extends along the outer wall from the first open end of the damping member to the second open end to thereby engage opposing sides of the outer wall so as to form a substantially U-shape.
 15. The bicycle of claim 14, wherein said first plate is substantially U-shaped.
 16. The bicycle of claim 13, wherein said wheel is a front wheel of said bicycle and said wheel support is a front fork.
 17. The bicycle of claim 13, wherein said first damping member is a solid piece of elastomeric material which occupies substantially the entire volume of the first surface cavity.
 18. The bicycle of claim 13, further comprising a second surface cavity and a second damping member positioned within said second surface cavity.
 19. The bicycle of claim 18, wherein said first and second surface cavities are on opposing legs of said wheel support.
 20. The bicycle of claim 16, further comprising a second surface cavity and a second damping member positioned within said second surface cavity, wherein the fork comprises two fork legs, and the first and second surface cavities are each on one of the two fork legs.
 21. The bicycle of claim 13, wherein said first surface cavity is located in an intermediate portion of said wheel support between said first and second ends.
 22. The bicycle of claim 13, wherein said wheel is a back wheel of said bicycle and said wheel support is a rear frame portion. 